Rook
by Luna Locura
Summary: A mysterious girl, burning with the change, is found in the woods near Volterra. With a volatile power and almost no recollection of her past, she establishes a tenuous position in the elite guard. The vampire world is a dangerous place, and she finds herself locked in a struggle with an unknown force.
1. Knowing

Hello guys! I don't own Twilight, but enjoy!

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I raced my way through the cobbled streets of Volterra. The only noises were my labored breaths and the slap of my sandals hitting the sidewalk as I ran. As I darted around a corner, my hip connected with the edge of a crate and I cried out in pain. The sound echoed throughout the pitch black city, making the place seem more ominous than it already was. My arm dangled uselessly at my side, broken by him earlier that night. I pushed past a group of trash bins and sank to the ground, propping my back against the wall and cradled my limp arm against my body. That's when I heard it. A soft thud, like a sleepy cat jumping off of a couch. Even though it wasn't the best time, I thought about all of the things I knew. I knew extremely well that it wasn't a cat, and that the nearest couch was very far away. Terrified out of my mind, I closed my eyes in a silent prayer. I was terrified because I knew it was not possible for anybody to catch up with me that fast, and it most definitely wasn't possible for them to survive a thirty-foot freefall off of the roof of a building. Right as I finished my prayer, I looked up into the sadistic eyes of the creature I knew was going to kill me.

At the speed of sound, the trash bins I had been using as a barricade slammed against the walls of the alleyway. He wrapped his hands around my throat and held me against the wall of the building behind me. My toes just grazed the ground and my hands were wrapped around his icy ones in a futile attempt to pry them away from my neck. He laughed insanely, and I gurgled in response, half angry and half frightened. I kicked at his stomach, and his grip loosened ever so slightly. Jumping at this oppurtunity, I sucked in a gulp of air and screamed, a high, horrible sound that made my ears pop. It lasted for a split second before his grip returned, tighter than before. I felt my air leave my body, and his face blurred before everything went black.

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When I came to, I was propped against a tree in a wooded area. There were two figures standing across from me, talking angrily. I regarded them through half-lidded eyes.

"You _have_ to stay with her!" I recognized the voice as _his_.

"And why can't you?" The other voice insisted fervently.

"You know very well why I can't. I have to _leave_," His voice grated on my nerves, and an involuntary frown settled onto my face.

"I think she is awake."

Upon hearing this, my hands shook, and in a last attempt at escape I dived around the tree. A cold hand clamped onto my shoulder and whirled me around. My head slammed against the bark and I hissed in pain. He laughed at me for the second time that night. His lips pulled back over his teeth, and he sunk his fangs into my neck without a moment's notice. I gurgled in shock. He was going to eat me!

And that's when the fire started.

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Alec POV

My cloak billowed out behind me as glided through the streets of Volterra. Guarding the city was a welcome escape of the monotony that was castle life. Demetri, another guard, followed swiftly behing me. He was dressed similarly to me, and a slight smile flickered across his face. We were just about to return to the castle when the scream reached our ears. It centered from a sketchier part of the city, and we would have normally if it wasn't for the cacaphony that accompanied it. Demetri nodded, and we took off.

When we reached our destination, quite a scene was taking place. Heaps of garbage and dented trash bins were strewn about, and in the center of the chaos stood one of us. Not a member of the Volturi guard, specifically, but a vampire. And his hands were wrapped around the throat of a human girl.

Demetri started forward, but I stopped him with my arm. _Wait, _I told him with my eyes. Maybe he was hunting. We found out quickly that this wasn't the case. When her head slumped forward onto his arm, he slung her over his shoulder and darted off into a copse. We waited a while, deciding on whether or not to pursue him. Our minds were made when her screams started again. Without a minute's hesitation, we darted off in the direction he took her, following his scent. When we arrived, there were three scents present, but only two figures. One was a vampire, although not the same one, and the other was the girl, who was now writhing in agony in the soil of the woods. Her clothes were in tatters and her hair in a frenzy.

"Follow him!" I shouted to Demetri, who darted off in the direction of the second vampire. I took off on the trail of the first, moving fast. I reached a point where his scent disappeared completely. Growling in frustration, I returned to where the girl lay screming and twitching. I moved closer, and sure enough, there were multiple crescent-shaped bite marks running from her jaw all the way down her arm. It only took one bite to transform a human into a vampire, and whoever did this was _cruel_. Tears slipped out of her eyelids, and I hissed. What did she do to deserve this? Demetri returned, and i turned to face him.

"Did you take care of him?" I asked the taller vampire.

He grinned. "Yeah."

He turned his attention to the tiny girl on the ground. "What do we do about her?" He asked quietly.

I shrugged, picking her up. "I guess we take her to Aro."

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	2. Transform

Alec POV

The night was silent as we glided back to the castle. Everything appeared the same, except for the fact that there was a pillar of deep purple smoke from the direction of the copse. I hadn't realized then how truly far away we were from our palace. The girl in my arms shook slightly, and I sighed. Her movements had no pain to them anymore, but that was only due to the fact that I had numbed her senses until we reached the castle. Her screams would have woken every mortal within a good mile or so from her, and, stealthy as vampires be, would have gotten us caught. Numbing her senses took concentration, and every time I would wander off in my thoughts her whimpers of pain brought me back. I looked at Demetri, who had an arrogant smirk plastered on his face, no doubt from the result of our little run-in. It almost made me want to laugh. I moved my eyes over to the girl. She looked to be about Jane's and my physical age, around seventeen. Her hair was extremely long, falling to her hips at _least _in irregular curls. The color of it was strange, but lovely. To a human, her hair probably looked reddish brown, but to a vampire's eyes, it was much more. It was the color of cherry wood, but with streaks of gold and pale red. Her skin looked like the inside of a seashell, and she had a line-shaped birthmark curving along her left cheekbone. Her eyelashes were average length, but they curled up at the ends. Her face was round, and her chapped lips were pressed together to the point of turning white. After pondering this for a few seconds, I decided she was pretty, but not uncommonly beautiful.

We reached the alleys behind the palace, and Demetri pulled open the cover on a manhole. I started to shift the girl to my other side when there was a tug on the collar of my cloak. Demetri laughed, and I looked at my collar, where a skinny hand was wrapped around the clasp. I gently uncurled her fingers and shifted her to my left, where she quickly refastened her fingers to my sleeve. Demetri laughed louder this time, and I shot him a glare. He turned around and we started down the tunnel. We came to where Gianna sat typing at her keyboard. She looked up at our arrival and her eyes zeroed in on the unconscious teenager, trailed down her left arm, and locked with mine. She reached under her desk and pulled out a blanket. I raised an eyebrow at this.

"Did you the state her clothes were in?"

I looked down, and sure enough, the girl's clothes were shredded, revealing most of her skin. I accepted the blanket and tucked it around her.

"Rogue vampires," I said, and Gianna nodded.

We flitted on to the throne room. Demetri opened the doors and followed in after me.

"Masters," he said while bowing. I would have done the same, but I was somewhat occupied. I walked toward Aro, and he held out his hand. I placed my forehead in his palm, and after a short while he nodded.

"I see," he breathed.

"So what do you think we should do with her, Masters?" I responded.

Aro turned to look at Marcus and Caius before replying.

"We shall keep her until her transformation is complete, my dear, Afterwards, we will see if she has skills beneficial to the guard."

For some reason, when those words left his mouth, I felt immensely relieved. Marcus saw this and arched his brow, so I quickly feigned boredom.

"Yes, Master."

As I turned to leave, Gianna's blanket fell to the floor, and hisses echoed around the room, from both the guard and the Volturi. Several guards shot to my side and furiously examined the bite marks all over the girl. Heidi reached out and snagged the girl's arm, twisting it gently to observe it better. The bites shimmered silver in the light, and they crisscrossed in an elaborate pattern reaching to her wrist. She whimpered, and the guard all took a step away from her. Her previously outstretched hand joined the other on my cloak, and I walked out of the throne room. Aro called out from behind me.

"Place her in one of the empty chambers!"

I quickly found one and set her on the bed, uncurling her fingers from around my cloak. Her head fell onto the pillows, and I left the room. I needed to feed. Not too soon after I walked back into the throne room did her paralysis wear off, and her screams begin.

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I was adjusting my collar on the way to the girl's chambers. Felix followed closely behind, his hulking form casting a long shadow down the lamp-lit hallway. We entered her room, where she was twisting uncontrollably on the pale golden sheets. I walked closer and her hand gripped onto mine. An amused smirk crossed my face and disappeared, leaving behind my usual bored mask. Felix, on the other hand was guffawing.

"Demetri was right!" he bellowed. "She's attached to you at the hip!"

Renata, who was passing in the hallways, poked her head in curiously, only to continue on when she realized it was just Felix. I, on the other hand, ignored him and concentrated on the girl, using my gift to numb her pain. Her screams gradually turned into deep breaths. For a while it was silent, but I knew that couldn't last long with Felix present. I was right.

"You know, she's actually sort of hot!"

I put my head in my hands. "Felix?"

"Yeah, Alec?"

"You're a dolt."

"Well she is! Look at her!"

So I did. At the end of her first day of transformation, she was already gaining a vampiric appearance. Her eyelashes had lengthened and thickened, now brushing her cheeks. Her skin had changed to a pearly white, and her lips were fuller. The birthmark was completely gone, and her face had gained a little more definition. Felix was right. She was lovely. The second day passed the same way, and she was gaining strength. We found this out when she grabbed my hand and it cracked. Jane had been furious. Her ever-shallow breaths morphed into screams whenever I wasn't there to numb her. Heidi stopped by frequently, sometimes checking in and sometimes sitting with the girl, talking to her and pushing her hair off of her forehead. On the last day of transformation, her hammering heartbeats echoed throughout the castle. Many members of the guard stopped by to observe, occasionally talking in hushed voices. My twin was suspiciously absent. Heidi went to retrieve some humans for when the girl woke up, and Felix and I hovered over her bed. During her last heartbeats, I peered at her face. Her heart stopped, and I found myself looking into crimson eyes.

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	3. Powers

Alec POV

Before anyone in the room had time to react, she slammed her back against the wall, the slim fingers on her right hand curling into the stone of the fireplace. Her eyes were wide and her eyelashes brushed her eyebrows. Her lips pulled back over her venom-glossed teeth in a feral growl. She blinked rapidly for half of a second and lowered herself into a crouch. I concentrated on her, and after a few seconds she went still, her eyes seeing nothing, her ears hearing nothing. She reached out blindly and grabbed my wrist. Felix was about to make a joke of it, no doubt, but he stopped, focusing on the girl's face. I turned my attention towards the girl as well. Her irises had completely lost their color, but her focus was back. I had never seen anything like this. Could she see? Not a second later, her eyes flashed back to their original crimson, and my world went black.

Girl POV

I couldn't feel anything. I couldn't hear anything, I couldn't see anything. I was floating in a vast sea of nothing, and for the first time in my life I actually wished for pain. For some inkling of discomfort or sound to let me know that I existed. A paper cut, a pin drop. Just as I thought I was about to go insane, the nothingness faded. Infinitesimally, I will admit, but enough that I knew I existed. Satisfied, I was about to return to that lingering darkness. But then I heard those unfamiliar voices. Whispers, soft as wind, as beautiful as the bubbling of a crystal waterfall. Somehow I knew they were talking about me. The mist of nothingness receded completely and the voices became clearer.

"She's waking up, Demetri!"

What? I didn't know any people named Demetri. I turned my attention to the smells around me. There were at least twenty different scents in the room, wherever I was. The one closest to me was my favorite, though. It smelled like the pies Mama made every holiday when I was little. Reassured by this small sense of familiarity, I opened my eyes, and found myself staring into pools of crimson. Terrified, I shot backwards, searching for anything to brace myself against. My back made contact with a cool wall, and my hand found the stone of a fireplace. I heard a crunching noise and glanced down at my hand. Chunks of the fireplace had come off into my palm. Opening my hand, I let the dust and stone fall to the ground. I looked up to find twenty-two people all clustered around the bed I had previously laid on. They stared at me with astonished eyes and a growl echoed from somewhere. I dropped down unconsciously into a crouch and looked around. A boy standing nearby looked my way, and then the nothingness was back. Panicking, I grabbed for his wrist. A flash of fire hit my head and I could see again. Everybody was looking at me, and I was frightened. I didn't want them to look at me anymore. Suddenly, their eyes lost focus, and my eyebrows lifted. Didn't blind people look like this? I walked around the room, waving my hand in front of each of their eyes. No response. I propped my back against the wall and slid to the floor. I sat there silently, gazing at everything. The chambers I sat in were fine, to be sure, richly furnished without showing any characteristics of the nouveau riche. I turned my attention back to the people standing around the room. Their vision returned, and their eyes moved to where I sat on the floor. I decided to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Can anybody tell me what just happened?"

The girl who was talking to Demetri when I woke up stepped forward.

"I don't know, but I think we need to take you to Aro. He will be pleased that you are awake, and most interested in what just transpired, don't you think, Alec?"

"Yes. Most interested. We should take you to him directly." the boy from earlier said. So Alec was his name. He stepped forward and took hold of my arm. We started walking towards the door and the girl spoke again.

"Alec?"

"Yes, Heidi?"

"I think I should get her a change of clothing first."

He turned to look at my clothes and I was suddenly self-conscious. I looked down at my clothes and gasped. The white peasant blouse and cut-off shorts I was wearing were torn to shreds, leaving nearly all of my skin exposed. I gasped and dropped to the ground, wrapping my arms around me in a futile attempt to cover my exposed skin. Heidi walked towards me.

"You all go ahead, I'll get her some suitable clothes," she said to the group of people in the room.

She wrapped the dark gray cloak she wore around my shoulders and I stood up. She took my hand and led me to another door on the opposite side of the room. She sat me on the counter of the bathroom and disappeared into the closet. She emerged a few seconds later with a bundle of black in her arms.

"I hope you don't mind," Heidi said. "I filled your closet with clothes for you."

My closet? I must have looked perplexed because she started speaking again.

"I assumed you would be staying with us as a member of the guard, and I wanted to make sure you had clothes."

I nodded like I understood and she began unfolding the clothes she had pilfered from the closet.

"Here, put these on. What is your name, by the way?"

I did as I was told, and she turned me around to face the mirror. "Allegra."

"What a pretty name. It matches your face."

My face looked terrified. The reflection in the gilded mirror could not have been my own. The creature in the glass was something surreal, a mix of demon and angel. Her skin was a creamy pale, the color of a pearl. Her hair-I mean, my hair- was the same dark red as before, but you could see gold along the edges of every curl. But the eyes! They were horrifying. The color was blood red, surrounded by a ring of burgundy. The lashes were thick and long, brushing my cheeks when I looked down or blinked. My birthmark was gone. The line in the shape of a crescent, slightly darker than the rest of my face, was replaced by the same smooth pearl that now covered the rest of me. I gasped. What am I?

Heidi cleared her throat softly from behind me.

"I'm sure that Aro will explain everything to you shortly," she said in a gentle voice. I nodded. At least I looked okay. She had put me in a pair of black skin tight leggings and an ash-colored tank top. To top it off there was a sheer black long-sleeved shirt several sizes too big tied with a maroon sash. I had to commend her on her taste. She handed me a pile of velvet in the darkest shade of gray possible. I draped it across my shoulders and she fastened it at the neck.

I smiled, caught up in the moment of femininity. I looked up at her. "How do I look?"

She smiled in response, her red eyes twinkling. "Like a doll."

Alec POV

After Heidi took the girl to change, the members of the guard present filed out of the chambers and glided towards the throne room. I thought of everything that happened. The infernal girl took my gift! I extended it towards the guard closest to me to make sure it still functioned and when he stopped moving, I smiled. Continuing to walk, I allowed myself to be content. At least my powers were still my own. I made my way into the throne room, and Jane was there conversing with Aro.

"Sister," I greeted her before turning to Aro.

"Is she awake, young Alec?"

"Yes, Master. And we have reason to believe she possesses a…_special_ gift."

Aro smiled. "Excellent. Is she on her way?"

"Yes, Master. Heidi will bring her after she gets her a fresh change of clothes."

Aro steepled his fingers and nodded. "I see."

He put out his hand and I stretched my palm out, allowing him to read my thoughts. After a moment he nodded again.

I walked over to where Jane was standing and linked my arm with hers. She refused to look at me and was silent. After studying her face for a moment I shrugged slightly. She would tell me eventually. After a couple of seconds of silence girlish laughter sounded from behind the massive doors. Heidi and the girl came into the room arm-in-arm, smiling radiantly. I noticed that the cloak the girl wore was only a shade lighter than Jane and mine. Jane must have noticed too, because she let out a nearly inaudible hiss. Taking in the silence of the room the two girls dropped arms and stopped laughing. Heidi stepped towards Aro.

"Master, may I present Allegra."

So her name was Allegra. Said girl looked at Heidi with frightened eyes. Heidi nodded minutely, and it seemed to be sufficient enough encouragement. She took a deep breath and looked up at Aro, Marcus, and Caius.

"Hello," she said.

Aro smiled and stood up. "Hello to you, too, little one. You've been through quite a bit in these last few days, haven't you?"

She nodded, seeming to relax.

"I feel I may better understand your situation if you allow me to use my gift," he said quietly.

Allegra eyed him warily. "As long as I can feel _something_," she said, looking at me. Jane hissed beside me and I had to agree with her. I numbed her to ease her pain, not to torture her. My thoughts were interrupted by Aro.

"Rest assured, my gift is nothing like young Alec's. I read minds."

"Oh, um, okay."

Aro nodded, taking her hand in his. His eyes focused on something in the distance as he read her thoughts.

"Ah, I understand better now. My dear, it wasn't one of the Volturi that changed you so horribly. The vampire that changed you was cruel to the highest caliber. We are hoping that you will join us, but if you choose not to, you can always go on your own or you can find a coven that accepts you."

Allegra's eyebrows lifted and she bit her lip. "Well I suppose I would like to stay here if that's alright. It seems as though I don't really have anywhere else to go."

He smiled. "Delightful! It seems as though you did something quite remarkable when you finished your transformation and my brothers and I wish to elaborate on that."

The tiny girl began to look a tad bit reluctant. "What does this require of me?"

"We have a few other individuals with gifts in our guard. We wish to see if you can replicate what you did in your chambers."

She nodded. "I see. May I?" She stretched out her hand and Aro placed his on her waiting fingers. She focused for a moment and her eyes took on the translucent sheen Aro saw in my memories. She focused again and looked up at Aro.

"Is there someone I can test this on?"

Without thinking, I stepped forward and detangled my arm from Jane's.

"Ah, Alec, wonderful!"

Allegra walked towards me and held out her hand. I didn't bring my hand up, so with a sigh, she moved her hand up to my face. She looked to the distance, and all I could think of was how astonished I was that she was touching my face and how pretty she looked now that she was immortal. She gasped and brought my attention to the present.

Caius sat forward in his throne, suddenly interested. "Were you successful?"

"Yes, Master."

"What was he thinking?"

"At this she became very interested in her feet. "He was astonished that I actually touched his face, and he thinks I make a very pretty immortal."

Now it was my opportunity to focus on my shoes. I snuck a glance at the vampires around me and nearly all of them looked amused at my foible. Allegra herself still had her head down, and a curtain of curls separated her from the outside world. She looked up slowly and turned to Aro.

"Is there anybody else, Masters?"

"Yes. Alec's twin, Jane."


	4. Allegra

Hello, lovelies! I am extremely sorry that this wasn't out earlier, but you know how life is. Another thing: I need more reviews! There are eight so far, and _hundreds_ of you guys visit this story every day, soo... more reviews, please? Pretty please with Alec on top?

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Allegra POV

Jane stepped forward, a wicked gleam in her eyes, a malicious smile tugging at her lips. She skipped over to where I stood, childish giggles bubbling past her lips as she came to a stop. I arched an eyebrow at her suspiciously. Behind us, Alec warned her.

"Jane-"

He never got a chance to finish, because at that moment Jane looked up and locked eyes with me. I was enveloped in fire. My back arched viciously and my head twisted to the side. My screams filled the room, echoing nonstop. I could feel the presence of every vampire in the room, and I assumed that the presence nearest to me was Jane's. I grasped blindly at what I could only guess was her ankle, focusing all of my remaining power on stealing hers. My strength returned to me, and I shakily lowered myself into a crouch and snarled at her, my anger hazing my vision.

"Never again," I hissed, and she was on the floor screaming.

Alec POV

I was already reproachful about letting Jane use her gift on this wisp of a girl. Where I was humane, Jane was sadistic, and she most _definitely _despised Allegra. Even if I did not approve of her actions, I could at least understand them. Before this little girl came along, Jane was Aro's favorite. She was one of the most dangerous vampires in the world, and one of the few blessed enough to don a cloak of the deepest gray. Then Allegra danced along, and the Volturi welcomed her with open arms. Instantaneously, Aro's foremost attention and admiration was focused on _her_, and she was accepted amongst the ranks. The whole of the guard thought her important enough to visit her constantly during her transformation, and powerful enough to be compared to Jane and I. Needless to say, my dear sister was furious. I was interrupted in my contemplation by the pitiful screams of Allegra writhing on the floor. Her screams increased in decibel as each second ticked by, and the entirety of the guard cowered back, knowing that Jane was using her power to its extent. Aro opened his mouth to call Jane off when in one fluid movement Allegra snapped herself off of the ground and fixed a terrifying glare on my twin.

"Never again," she breathed, and unleashed the full force of my sister's power against her. Jane crumpled to the floor like a body without bones, her screams loud and painful. Without a moment's hesitation I launched myself at Allegra, pinning her arms against her torso. She struggled viciously and I trapped her wrists in my left hand so that she couldn't touch me.

"Allegra, calm down _now!_"

She flinched at my tone and kicked some more, so with my free hand I turned her head so that she had to look at me.

"Allegra!"

Something gave out in her eyes, and she pressed her face into my cloak, the material and her hair hiding her humiliation away from the world. I kept her wrists in my left hand and clutched onto the shoulder of her cloak with my right. Over her head, I observed the scene. Felix was helping Jane off of the ground. Aro was immersed in thought, and his two brothers were conversing silently in their thrones. Aro broke the silence.

"Alec, please give our dear Allegra a suite in the guard's wing. Also, supply her with cloaks of a deeper color. As for the rest of you, welcome the newest member of the elite guard."

Jane gasped, and I could see the hurt in her burgundy eyes. We all betrayed her. I betrayed her. She fled the room, her snarls and sobs resounding until she was well out of the hallway. I wanted to go after her, but I still had obligations and a sobbing girl attached to my cloak. I pried her off of me and offered her my arm. She placed her hand in the crook of my elbow and we flitted off to her chambers. Along the way, we stopped in front of a closet and I stepped inside, emerging a moment later with a pile of freshly-laundered cloaks. I held out the soot-colored bundle and she reached for it instinctively. We continued on, coming to a halt for the second time outside of a door. I quietly turned the handle, and the door creaked open slowly. She walked in ahead of me and I hovered in the doorway. She pirouetted in a slow circle, taking in her surroundings.

"This is mine?" She smiled.

I nodded, and she lowered herself into a chair, hugging a throw pillow to her chest.

"Do you like it?" I asked quietly. She looked up at me and nodded. I stood there awkwardly, my hands clasped in front of me. I could feel her gaze on me, so I looked up again.

She surprised me. "Alec, go talk to your sister. She feels betrayed."

"Wait, pardon me?"

She sighed. " Go talk to Jane. I would feel the same way if I was in her position. As a matter of fact, I have been. It's not pleasant. She needs you, and I would be extremely happy if you would apologize to her for me. I would do it myself, but I have a feeling that I'm not her favorite person right now."

I looked at her for a moment and nodded. "Of course. If you need anything, just take a left and I'm the first door on your right. Goodnight, Allegra."

"Ally." I turned back and quirked an eyebrow. This girl continued to amaze me.

"What? My friends call me Ally, and I would like to think of you as a friend. Goodnight, Alec."

Without another word, I turned and left the room. I had to find Jane. I turned down a darkened hallway, opened an old carved door, and the familiar scents of the garden assaulted me. I followed the overgrown pathway until I came across the gazebo. A hooded figure was curled up in a ball on the floor, her pale hand tracing circles in the rainwater. I walked up and sat beside her, not saying anything. I watched the sheets of rain hit the ground for a while and then looked at her.

"Janey," I said, using my childhood nickname for her, "I would never betray you."

She looked up at me with venom-glossed eyes, her brow bunched in a scowl. "But they did. All of them."

I wrapped my arms around her shoulders. "I think they were just excited about a new member. We haven't had one of those in about fifty years now."

She nodded. "Alec, do you think I was wrong using my gift on her?"

Here I hesitated, knowing that the wrong answer could make her even more upset.

"I think that it was unnecessary to use your gift that much, but you _were_ doing your job. After I showed Allegra her room, she asked me to tell you that she was really regretful about how she used your power on you like that. She also said that she would have told you herself, but that she knows that she's not your favorite person right now." At this, I laughed.

Jane rubbed her eyes with her palms. "She's honestly not. But maybe I'll eventually be able to at least _tolerate_ her."

I smiled. This was the Jane I knew.

Allegra POV

After Alec left, I stood up slowly and walked around the room. In one corner of the suite, there was a miscellany of items. An easel and paints, a stack of books, a sewing box. A flash of gold caught my eye, and I moved closer to investigate. I pulled it gently from its stand and turned it between my fingers. It was a flute, long and slender, made completely of gold. I admired the light bouncing off of it in rainbow fragments and I placed my fingers on the keys. An onset of memories assaulted my mind and I dropped the flute and leaned my head into my hands. All of the flashbacks were blurred, like trying to look through murky water. Except for one.

_I sat on the kitchen counter in our cottage, swinging my feet back and forth. Mama wiped her hands dry on her dress and turned to me._

"_Are you ready, Ally?" She asked me, picking me up and moving to the armoire in her and Papa's room. She pulled gently on the iron handle, and the smell of clean linen wafted towards me. She set me down on my feet and reached into the cabinet. I bit my lip excitedly as she pulled out the black case. She set it on her vanity and popped open the clasp, lifting the lid. I peeked excitedly over her arm, watching with wide eyes as she pulled the shining flute away from its velvet pillow. She blew into the mouthpiece, her fingers moving expertly over the keys. I clapped when she finished, and she handed the flute to me. By the time we were finished that day, she had taught me an entire song that I could play without her help. I was so proud. When Papa came home, I played it for him and he called me his little musician. I worked every day after that, learning new songs on my Mama's little flute. Two months later, my Mama died of pneumonia._

I shuddered at the memory. The pain of remembering my mother was too great. Every day for six years after burdened my self-control. I spent an hour each morning putting up my barriers and putting on my brave face, just so that the people at school wouldn't know the toll that each miserable hour took on my sanity. My father would get notes home from my teachers about how they were worried, how I looked like a shell. I got sent to doctors and special people who made me talk about my pain. The monotony was excruciating. I finally stood up one day and moved on. I shut away all memories of my mother, made it seem like she never existed.

I dragged my hands down my face and rose from the floor. A bit of sleep was bound to help me. I braided my hair away from my face and twisted it into a bun. Pulling my shirt over my head and discarding it to the side, I slid between the silky sheets in my undershirt and leggings.

My eyes slid shut, but the sleep never came.

I don't know how long I sat there, my crimson eyes boring holes into the frescoed ceiling. Sighing, I rolled out of the bed and landed with a thud on the carpeted ground. I walked to the door, grabbing my cloak and draping it haphazardly around my shoulders before walking through the doorway and flitting down the hallway to Alec's room.

Alec POV

I looked up from the heavy book in my lap when I heard a light knock on my door.

"Enter," I said, marking my place in the book.

To say I was surprised when I saw Allegra poke her head through the door would be an understatement. She looked distressed, and her hair was sticking up in places. She sank down onto the Persian rug sprawled in front of the fireplace and looked up at me.

"I cannot sleep," she muttered, gazing fixedly into the fire in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.

Did no one tell her?

I cleared my throat and met her eyes. "Vampires don't sleep, Allegra."

"_What?_" She shrieked, and if the situation hadn't been so awkward, I would have laughed insanely at the look she wore.

"We cannot sleep, and we cannot consume human foods."

She huffed out a deep breath of air and looked up at the ceiling.

"So, since it turns out I know absolutely _nothing_ about these vampire _quirks_, would you be able to tell me, new friend?"

I nodded. "You know the first two; we don't sleep, we don't eat. We have amazing strength and speed, and some of us are gifted with special powers. For example; you, me, Aro, and Jane. Our senses are unparalleled by any creature." She nodded, the wheels turning in her mind.

I continued. "Now, I have a question. Are you thirsty, Ally?"

Allegra POV

As soon as the word _thirsty_ spilled from Alec's lips, my throat burst into flames. I clutched at it frantically, trying to smother the invisible flame. I looked at Alec with wide eyes and he stood up. Alec gripped on to the tops of my arms and lifted me like a toddler, pushing me in front of him. I stumbled into the hallway, gagging and clutching at my throat. We dashed to the throne room and Alec shoved me into Felix, who caught me instinctively. I was crying, the pain in my throat becoming unbearable. I needed_ blood_, and it wasn't in my custody. I twisted wildly in Felix's grip pushing away with all my strength. I finally got away and vaulted over the windowsill twelve feet over my head. Slamming my fist through the glass I inhaled deeply, my gaze zeroing in on two humans walking obliviously below. I was just about to jump through the stained-glass when four stone hands encased my neck and shoulders and pulled me crashing to the marble floor. I thrashed about psychotically, but two impossibly heavy weights on my limbs kept me from doing much damage. I kept trying, though, my attempts at escape growing more and more feeble while the fire stayed the same. The massive wooden doors behind us opened and my nostrils were filled with the most delicious aroma in the world. Demetri and Felix lifted themselves off of me and I leapt up, ripping the unconscious man from Alec's arms and sinking my teeth into his throat. _That_ was what I needed. I drained the first body and dashed to the one that had magically appeared in Alec's arms. I drained that one too, and the burning in my throat subsided. I flopped onto my back and smiled contentedly, patting my full stomach. I raised my head off of the floor when Felix's booming laughter reverberated off of the burgundy walls around us.

"Do I amuse you, Felix?" I asked with an impish grin.

"Obviously he does, my dear Allegra. And, knowing Felix, I would assume it was because he so easily had you defenseless during your brief lapse in sanity. Am I correct, Felix?" An equally impish Demetri interjected, smirking.

Felix shook his head in mock disappointment at Demetri's statement. "You are definitely correct, Demetri. But I am extremely upset that my attempts at covertness were so easily thwarted."

I was sitting up fully by then, interested in the conversation. Their eyes turned to me, and I laughed. Shaking my head incredulously, I spoke.

"Felix, I am most definitely astonished at you, to deem me an easy target in a moment of utter helplessness as that. You as well, Demetri. I assure you, I'm not _that_ weak."

Felix cracked his knuckles and smirked. "So you wouldn't be opposed to fighting me, then."

His arrogance fortified mine. Rising to my feet, I grinned. I lowered myself into a crouch, exuding as much swagger as I possibly could, as I was four times smaller than him. Without a moment's hesitation he propelled himself in my direction. I watched his movement. Panicking, I slid underneath him mid-lunge and pulled on his left leg. A thunderous clap echoed throughout the room as Felix collided with the marble. I pounced on his back, my teeth inches from his throat.

"Dead," I laughed. He stood up with me still on his back. I clutched wildly at his neck to keep myself from falling.

"No offense Felix, but you were easy to defeat. Did anyone else think that he just planned on squishing me?"

A few of the guards present murmured assent.

"But that is his battle strategy!" Heidi called out mockingly. Aro cleared his throat behind us and we all turned to look.

"She continues to amaze us, does she not? Not only does she possess a power, but the ability to fight! This is a great time for the Volturi indeed!"

* * *

Three _thousand_ words in this chapter alone! Heheh, I'm proud of myself! Review, please? It's right beneath this Author's note.


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